


Six Years of Happiness before the Long Darkness

by LillaMyy



Series: Yours to Keep [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-28
Packaged: 2018-04-19 03:56:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4732004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LillaMyy/pseuds/LillaMyy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two people from different races meet quite by chance but what does it lead to?</p><p>”For six hundred years my father has protected you, favoured you.”<br/>-Legolas in The Desolation of Smaug-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters except the ones I’ve made up, and I don’t claim that this ever happened. Neither do I get any monetary profit for writing this.
> 
> Notes: Don’t ask, I don’t even know where on earth this originated from. Anyways, you all probably remember how in DoS Legolas tells Tauriel that Thranduil has protected her for 600 years (word-for-word quote can be found in the summary) so this is my version of what happened and why she needed protection from her king. P.S. Don’t start with me on the age differences or anything because according to Tolkien Gateway (http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Elven_Life_cycle) elves reach physical puberty at about fifty. So there can be several opinions as to how old Tauriel would be here in human years. :D Names that do not sound familiar I have dug up either from here (http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/lordoftherings/names.pdf) or have compiled on my own with the help of this (http://www.realelvish.net/sindarin_namespeople.php) site and its million links. In Sindarin I have used this (http://www.jrrvf.com/cgi-bin/hisweloke/sindarin.cgi) dictionary. Please, feel free to ask me anything if something is not clear or you wish to know something I did not tell something in the story. This participated at a Finnish forum to a challenge where you had to write about a certain couples different first times, and thus, the names of chapter are these first times.
> 
> Translations from Sindarin to English: ada = father ja sell = daughter.

## First Meeting

_TA 2335_

 

Astrid, who had just turned fourteen, was more or less excited when her mother came to get her from her bedside by the fire in the morning. Today would be the first time that she got to visit Esgaroth. The town had once a year a big market and this year her parents had decided that she was old enough for the trip that would last at least a week. For a few years Astrid had followed with jealousy in her eyes as Erland, a boy next door, had left to the market with his family. Unknown to Astrid this trip was meant to show Erland’s parents that she was old enough to participate in maintaining a household because their parents were planning on marrying the young ones to each other.

 

~¤~¤~

 

The following day a red-haired elf maiden was helping four other elves in loading the carriage headed towards the market in Esgaroth. Tauriel was handing things to Gelmir who was balancing on the carriage and organising them as the carriage was filled with objects and bags going on sale at the market.

” _Ada_ , when exactly are we leaving?” Tauriel asked impatiently as she lifted a sack to the carriage.

”We leave as soon as we have our things in order, _sell_ ”, Gelmir replied and the young elves sped up the loading process.

“If the weather is in fact in our favour still at that time”, Cúthalion added laughing with Gelmir at the enthusiasm to leave of the younger elves and continuing his slow working. The two of them had no rush to get to Esgaroth but they could still remember the first time they had visited the annual market so they understood the enthusiasm of the younger ones. The big market of Esgaroth gathered annually huge crowds of elves and men to the same place to exchange products so it was notoriously the first place for young people of both races to meet each other in large numbers.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid sat on the cart pulled in turns by his father and their next door neighbour. The cart was loaded with everything the families had scraped up in a year and now they were headed towards Esgaroth hoping to get some of it sold. Nobody in their village could afford a horse and the mules were still needed at the village so people were pulling their carts themselves. Erland was walking beside the cart lustily and his face was full of excitement. Astrid’s feet had begun to hurt in her ill-fitting shoes so father had allowed her to jump on top of the cartload.

 

They had travelled for only two days when they had an accident. Astrid had been racing ahead with Erland when they heard their fathers swearing behind them. They looked at each other worried and rushed back to their parents. They soon noticed that their old cart had hit a hole on the road. The wheel was still intact but the cart remained stuck. The men were swearing as they lifted things from the cart to get them loose and rolling again.

 

They hadn’t made it very far in their project when they heard the sound of another cart behind. All six of them lifted their gazes from the cart and for the first time in her life Astrid saw a real horse. It was big, much bigger than even the biggest mule in their village, and its dark hair shone in sunlight. However, her gaze was attached to the creatures sitting in the carriage the horse was pulling because they most certainly were not humans. Elves were riding the carriage and Astrid couldn’t stop staring. She had heard of elves and their beauty but never before had she met anyone of their race. Now she saw five elves at once because in addition to the driver there were four other elves on the carriage. Two of them had the golden and one dark hair of their people, but two of them had flaming red hair. Astrid fixed her gaze on the red-headed elf maiden who returned her gaze with ease. She couldn’t even begin to guess her age because as she’d heard all elves looked both young and old. Their faces shone with wisdom brought by age with an immortal youth.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Tauriel watched from the carriage the young dark-haired and dark eyed girl who was looking at her as Gelmir asked the men if they needed assistance. She listened a little absentmindedly how one of the men replied that their cart was stuck. Amras and Saeros jumped quickly off the carriage and rushed to help them out as ordered by Gelmir and for a while Tauriel stopped staring at the maiden. She looked at how the four men (of both elves and men) lifted the cart from the hole after a while of trying. The men started thanking the elves of their unexpected help. Gelmir only stated that it had been the least they could do to help other travellers on the road.

 

When she heard a brighter voice joining the “thank you”s Tauriel’s gaze turned back to the mysterious little maiden. She curtsied and lifted her dark grey eyes to face the elf maiden’s brown ones. Something about this young maiden intrigued Tauriel but even she herself couldn’t say what it was. She just couldn’t get her mind of her even though she didn’t even know her name.

 

~¤~¤~

 

A few days later as the men finally reached Esgaroth Astrid spent most of her days searching for the red-haired elf maiden amidst the huge crowd. Unknown to her also Tauriel was looking for her. Both of them were skipping their duties but both of them were forgiven because the others thought they were being lazy because they were excited about their first visit to Esgaroth. Truth, however, was that they’d already forgotten all about the excitement about the market as soon as they’d laid eyes on each other for the first time. Somehow this whole fussing about the market was nowhere near as fascinating as they’d expected because now both of their thoughts were haunted by the interesting meeting on the road.


	2. First Anniversary

## First Anniversary

_TA 2336_

 

Exactly a year later Tauriel was once again helping Gelmir and Cúthalion load the carriage with Amras. This time Saeros wasn’t joining them because he had to stay behind to help his mother so only the four of them would be leaving. For some reason Tauriel noticed that she was nervous even though the market wasn’t that exciting. Perhaps it was because she was hoping and expecting to see the dark-haired human maiden again. She had tempted her imagination all year and even though Tauriel had tried she couldn’t forget their exception meeting a year ago on their way to the market in Esgaroth.

 

When the four of them left Tauriel spent the entire trip looking around her from the carriage as if she was expecting to the men with their cart once again stuck on a hole in the road and the mystical maiden standing beside them. However, she saw nothing of them, not the cart, the group of people or the mystical maiden, which made her disappointed. She’d been waiting for it all year so enthusiastically and now everything went completely wrong.

 

~¤~¤~

 

What Tauriel didn’t know was that Astrid was thinking like her when she travelled with her parents, Erland and his parents towards Esgaroth. Throughout the journey she turned her head this way and that hoping to see the red-haired elf maiden. But she couldn’t see a person anywhere so she walked all the way to the market sorely disappointed.

 

However, upon their arrival Astrid noticed that her luck had changed as she saw the red-haired elf maiden walking on the shores of the Long Lake. She smiled widely and decided to approach her this time by the town and not just on the road. Erland was looking at the girl next to him smiling oddly but said nothing. How could he have known what she was thinking then?

 

~¤~¤~

 

Tauriel was walking along the shore of the Long Lake. She’d wanted to have a moment of privacy because Amras had been fussing around her in the town. Gelmir had simply nodded to his daughter’s decision to walk along the shoreline and given her his dagger just in case. Tauriel didn’t even know how to use it so she hoped that she didn’t have to try her luck with it.

 

The elf maiden startled as she heard a bright voice greeting her from behind her back and she turned quickly placing her other hand on the hilt of the dagger hoping it was unnecessary precaution. It turned out that the dagger could remain hidden because the one startling her had only been the dark haired maiden she’d met on the road a year ago, and nothing scarier. Tauriel sighed in relief and only then replied to the greeting as politely as she could and then laughed to herself.

“Why are you laughing?” she asked.

“I thought you were something scary and was all ready to pull my dagger out”, she relied a little embarrassed.

“You have your own dagger?” she wondered clearly being jealous at the prospect.

“Erland has his own dagger, too, but my father would never let me even touch one. Can I see it?” she mumbled on and Tauriel nodded to her question. She pulled the dagger out and gave it to her hilt first. She took and started rolling it in her hand making delighted sounds.

“I’m Astrid by the way. What’s your name?” she asked as she gave the dagger back.

“My name is Tauriel”, the elf replied and put the dagger back to its sheath.

“I like your name. And your hair, the colour of it is so beautiful. I’ve never before talked to an elf. Sorry, I babble too much. My mother always says that I start babbling when I’m nervous”, Astrid explained and Tauriel laughed a little to her ramblings.

“It’s okay, I like your babbling”, she said and Astrid smiled to her before she continued her babbling.

 

Tauriel listened patiently and nodded and laughed in appropriate occasions as the girl spoke. A few hours later the girls noticed they’d been sitting by the Long Lake already too long and they ran laughing back into town to find their own companies.

 

~¤~¤~

 

The following day Astrid was close to bursting from excitement as she and Tauriel had had so much fun the previous day on the shore. Every time she saw a glimpse of red she hoped to see her and a couple of times she did. Every time their gazes met the girls smiled to each other like had a common secret and it felt like that. At least Astrid hadn’t told anyone that she’d spent the previous day with an elf. Everybody knew she’d been by the Lake but they thought she’d been alone. When Astrid’s parents saw her smiling so freely in the company of Erland they thought it was because of him even though the truth was something else entirely.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Tauriel was wondering through the stony streets of Esgaroth. Today was the last day of spring market and she wanted to Astrid one last time before they left. She’d see her again only next year so she’d decided to spent her whole day looking for her amidst the crowd if she had to. Unknown to her Astrid was doing exactly the same thing and luckily for the girls they met each other purely by accident by a pier that was larger than usual. They looked at each other from opposite ends of the pier before they laughed, raced to the middle and sat down dangling their legs above the Long Lake.

 

So Astrid and Tauriel spent their last day on that year’s spring market sitting on the pier and talking about this and that. Or mostly Astrid did the talking and Tauriel listened to her as there was no stopping the dark-haired from talking. The elf didn’t mind because she enjoyed listening to her stories about her family, small home village and the residents and animals of that village.


	3. First Kiss

## First Kiss

_TA 2337_

 

Once again Tauriel was waiting for the future meeting with Astrid as enthusiastically as stars lighting up in the skies. They’d agreed on meeting by the Long Lake on the same spot as one year ago on the first day of the market during the slowest hour because then neither of them could be missed for a while.

 

Tauriel also noticed at times that she was smiling as she suddenly remembered either Astrid’s face smiling or what her laughter sounded like or how she had a habit of constantly babbling. At times she even had to bite her cheek to not start laughing out loud for nothing because that would’ve raised suspicion among the others.

 

Amras and Saeros had in fact already noticed the slightly odd behaviour of Tauriel but her family members paid no heed to it. Especially Edrahil was only pleased that his little sister could enjoy life even though he didn’t know where the sudden change had come from. In his viewpoint Tauriel had been a little too serious for her age so he considered the change as desired and hopefully permanent.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid was going round in circles as she waited for the perfect moment to slip to meet Tauriel by the Long Lake. It just didn’t seem to come at any time because all the time somebody needed her whether that somebody wanted to buy something or someone from her family had something to say to her. Even Erland was bothering her at times which irritated her more than usual. She’d handled the fact of being late because of her family but if she’d be late because of Erland he’d never hear the end of it.

 

Finally the awaited moment arrived and Astrid peeked at her parents talking to the owners of the tent next to their and then sped off like the wind. She ran further away, off from the market area and towards the Lake. She could already see the red-haired elf waiting for her so she hastened to her. She hated being late but that couldn’t be helped so she tried to be only a little late. As Tauriel heard her footsteps she turned to smile to her.

 

~¤~¤~

 

”I am so sorry that I’m a little late!” Astrid puffed and sat next to the elf.

“It’s okay, I haven’t been here long”, Tauriel replied. For a moment they just watched out on the Lake, the surface of which was disturbed by isolated ripples. Then Astrid decided to open her mouth as she could no longer stand the silence.

“Listen, what would you say if we go out for a walk?” she asked casually and looked at Tauriel sitting next to her.

“I’d say it’s a great idea”, she replied smiling and the girls stood up. They pondered a while if they should walk inside the town or outside of it and decided to stick to the Long Lake as there they were less likely to bump into anyone and they wanted to be left alone.

 

They walked in silence along the shoreline and at some point noticed they were holding hands. Neither of them knew when or how it had happened but neither one let go of the other one’s hand. So their intertwined hands were swinging in between them in the rhythm of their steps. At times Astrid tried to say something but she always noticed that she had nothing to say that would fit this moment so she kept silent. Tauriel on the other hand didn’t even need conversation; she was satisfied with the sounds of nature, the warmth of the hand gripping hers and the sunlight on her face.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Suddenly both girls stopped to look around. They noticed they’d wandered already further from Esgaroth than they’d planned so they decided to turn around so that they’d make it back before sundown. Tauriel looked at the dark-haired girl who was about to say something but didn’t. She laughed brightly to her obsessive need to talk and her face saddened. That only made Tauriel laugh more and in no time Astrid was also laughing.

 

They looked at each other laughing when suddenly Tauriel felt Astrid tying her hands around her. The elf hugged her back a little awkwardly as she wasn’t used to so close contact with anyone but her family. Astrid obviously noticed her awkwardness because she let quickly go of her. Tauriel looked at her smiling like she was saying that everything was okay. Astrid lifted her hand to grope her hair and a stray lock slipped to cover her face. Before she had time to move it she felt Tauriel’s hand moving the stray lock for her.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid look deep within Tauriel’s brown eyes and noticed that she was closer to her than she’d expected. However, her closeness didn’t feel disturbing but more homely somehow safe like that’s how everything should’ve been. Tauriel moved her hand from Astrid’s temple to under her chin and lifted her face upwards a little. She noticed her face moving closer to hers and time seemed to slow down, even stop completely. Next Astrid felt Tauriel’s warm soft lips on hers and she closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. The elf’s lips ran further off but returned quickly, feeling their way. Astrid returned the kisses awkwardly but hoped that the message behind them came across. Too soon the girls parted because they were in a hurry to get back. They looked at each other without uttering a word smiling to their joint secret before they turned towards Esgaroth and started walking hand in hand. Near the market area Tauriel pulled Astrid against her and kissed her quickly before both girls started walking to their own way.


	4. First Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry everybody, I really am! I hate myself for this, but I am going to fix this yet!

## First Fight

_TA 2338_

 

”Astrid, me and your father would like to talk to you”, was the first thing she heard when she sat to eat her breakfast. She looked at her parents but their faces told her nothing of the matter.

“What did you want to tell me?” she wondered sleepily.

“Me and your mother have been thinking that you’re already old enough”, her father began and Astrid waited patiently for the continuation but it never came.

“Old enough for what?” she asked when she realized her parents were waiting for her to react.

“Old enough to get married…” her mother replied and Astrid just stared at her parents, spoonful of porridge halfway to her mouth.

“…with Erland”, her mother finished her sentence and the spoon dropped to the floor.

 

~¤~¤~

 

As was her habit Tauriel was waiting for Astrid by the Long Lake. Already from afar she could see the familiar party and the familiar cart in the horizon and she waited patiently for Astrid to slip away to meet her. However, as she started walking towards her, the elf noticed that not all was the way it used to be because she wasn’t smiling like before when she’d walked to meet her. Tauriel sobered a little but decided to wait until Astrid got here before she’d jump to conclusions. After all how could she know if her bad mood was caused by a family feud?

 

”Hey”, Tauriel said when Astrid finally reached her. She didn’t quite look at her in the eye when she returned her greeting which made the elf nervous. This was in no way ordinary behaviour for her so something must’ve been really wrong.

“What’s wrong?” she asked and only now Astrid lifted her gaze to her eyes and that gaze was a tell-tale sign of a great grief.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid wanted to run and hug Tauriel who was looking at her seriously but the emotions hadn’t vanished from her gaze. How could she now tell the elf what she had to tell her because she didn’t want to hurt her? This would’ve been a lot easier if nothing had ever happened. Astrid supressed a sob and tried to begin:

“I… We… This…”

“You no longer wish to see me”, Tauriel deduced from her statement or rather inability to state it straight.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just… I no longer know what I want… Mom and dad… They, they want me to marry Erland, a friend. And I, I’m their only hope of getting grandchildren because my older brother died when he was five days old and after me they haven’t had any kids so I want to… I _have to_ do this. I wish there was a choice for me, I really wish that, but how could I tell my parents that I can’t fulfil my job as an only child and reproduce because it’s not what I want”, Astrid said. With every uttered word both her and Tauriel’s faces grew darker until both of them were close to tears.

“What do you mean?” Tauriel asked.

“I mean that we can’t go on like this. I’m going to marry Erland so I can’t keep running off to meet you whenever I want to. Though I wish we could still be friends.”

 

~¤~¤~

Friends. The word echoed in Tauriel’s mind without answer. Could she be friend after this emotional storm? She hoped so but couldn’t be sure of it. After Astrid had voiced her wish they fell silent and Tauriel looked at her face. It looked like it had changed from the last time, because last time warmth and love, if such a word could be used of it, had shone from her face but now all that was gone and instead her face showed something Tauriel couldn’t decode. Perhaps sorrow but it was mixed with something else.

“Tauriel?” Astrid asked after a while when the elf hadn’t replied to her.

“Are you okay?”

What should Tauriel answer her? Physically she might’ve been okay because words couldn’t leave any visible marks no matter how much they cut you but of her mental state she couldn’t be sure. The only thought in her head was that she wanted to return to last year but because she couldn’t do that, she settled for leaving the scene.

 

~¤~¤~

 

”I’M SORRY!” Astrid shouted to the vanishing back of Tauriel and dropped to her knees crying.

“I’m so very sorry”, she mumbled and leaned on the ground so as not to fall on her face. She cried out of disappointment, despair and the unfairness of the world. Why had she had to meet Tauriel if it could never work out? Why couldn’t she just do what she wanted to?

 

Astrid didn’t know how long it had been since Tauriel left her but when she stood up to wipe her tears the sun had vanished from the sky. She should return to her company and nobody could see that she’d been crying so she tried her best to compose herself.


	5. First Forgotten Friend and First Purchase Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: Translation from Sindarin to English: ada = father.

## First Forgotten Friend and First Purchase Together

_TA 2339_

 

The year had passed by Astrid like in a fog. She was now betrothed to Erland but she remembered nothing else from the ceremony than how much she wanted to be elsewhere when he placed a heavy ring on her finger. At that very moment the ring was weighing Astrid’s hand down and she itched to throw it aside but she knew she couldn’t do it as she was going to find a seamstress with her mom. They couldn’t afford to pay for her wedding dress so they had to find a seamstress who’d be willing to accept favours as a payment.

 

Astrid followed her mother slowly through Esgaroth but she grew suddenly alert as she saw a flash of red hair. She mumbled something unintelligible to her mother and ran to where she’d seen the spark of red. Could it be that she’d seen Tauriel? Astrid hadn’t allowed herself to think about the elf during the last year because she hadn’t answered her but now she couldn’t not investigate the matter. Would the elf hate her or would she have a chance to fix things?

 

~¤~¤~

 

Tauriel was wandering her own ways in Esgaroth because _ada_ had given her an errand to buy her own dagger. _Ada_ had clearly noticed her daughter’s recent wanderings and wanted to make sure she was safe because he’d promised to teach the young elf maiden in using that dagger for her own defence. Somehow Tauriel felt like this errand was supposed to keep her busy because she hadn’t been herself after they arrived at the market. The fight she’d had with Astrid last year was still heavy on her mind.

 

When she turned a corner Tauriel heard a familiar voice shouting for her.

“Tauriel! Tauriel, wait up!” Astrid was yelling behind her but she didn’t stop.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid quickened her pace so that she would catch up to Tauriel because she didn’t seem like slowing down even though she’d asked. When she finally caught the elf, she placed her hand on her shoulder and Tauriel turned to face her. The hurt expression on the elf’s face startled Astrid a little but then she remember it was justified because she’d messed things up last time and tried to ignore it.

“Tauriel, I would like to apologize for last time. It… It wasn’t fair to you and… and anyways I’m not even sure that I want it anymore”, she mumbled and bit her lower lip while she waited for the other to reply. The elf didn’t say anything so Astrid continued:

“Could we talk for a while?”

“I don’t understand what you still might have to say to me”, Tauriel replied and was about to turn when Astrid grabbed her hand.

“Please, don’t go. I really want to apologize”, she said, “for everything I said last time.”

After pondering the matter a while Tauriel nodded and Astrid began pulling her away. She had a plan that she hoped would slacken the elf a little.

 

After a short walk Astrid stopped by a small stall. During their walk she’d explained to Tauriel how she was really sorry about everything she’d said and how she’d finally understood that the wish of her parents wasn’t what she herself wanted. It had taken her a long time but Astrid had finally realized that she wouldn’t want to spend the rest of her life in an unhappy marriage.

“What could I get you ladies?” a tiny old woman sitting in the stall asked.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any hairclips?” Astrid asked her and she smirked.

“I do have”, she said and dug up a whole box filled with hairclips of different shapes and colours. Astrid and Tauriel began browsing through them excitedly until the elf pulled out a small and simple silvery clip. Astrid watched aside as Tauriel lifted it and admired the zigzag pattern in the clip and smiled.

“How much is that?” Astrid asked pointing to the clip Tauriel was holding.

 

~¤~¤~

 

”Oh, you don’t have to buy it for me!” Tauriel said as she watched Astrid digging her few coins out from her pocket to the outstretched hand of the old woman.

“Yes I do, it’s my way of apologizing”, Astrid mumbled back as her coins were running out. Tauriel pulled from her pocket the coins _ada_ had given her for the dagger.

“I’ll pay the rest”, she said and Astrid mumbled in opposition.

“Don’t be silly, I insist on paying half if you insist on buying it”, the elf said and at last Astrid accepted the offer. They bought together the small hairclip and withdrew a little further from the stall as the old woman began counting her coins.

“Can I place it on your hair?” Astrid asked when they were alone.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid watched Tauriel nod and asked her to sit down so that she could reach her hair. Her hands were shaking a little as the elf sat down and she was allowed to play with her hair. She started braiding her beautiful red hair from the top of her head, first from the other and then the other side, asked for the hairclip and finally fastened the braids with it. Astrid beckoned Tauriel to see her reflection from the surface of the Lake. She did as she was asked and Astrid saw her smiling to her reflection.

“Thank you so much Astrid. How did you know to come look for me?” Tauriel wondered when she returned.

“I wasn’t looking for you on purpose, because I was with my mother… Oh no, mother! We were supposed to go find someone to make my wedding dress and then I was supposed to meet Erland!” Astrid cried out. Mentioning his name brought a wince on Tauriel’s face so Astrid continued:

“But that’s okay. I had much more fun like this!”

The elf smiled in return and for a moment everything seemed to be just fine until it was time for them to go their separate ways.


	6. First ’I Love You’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: Translation from Sindarin to English: gwathel = sister and gwador = brother.

## First ’I Love You’

_TA 2340_

 

Edrahil watched as with every passing mile Tauriel’s whole bearing grew happier as they approached Esgaroth. He didn’t understand at all what it was all about but he was happy about it.

“What makes you so happy, _gwathel_?” he asked causing Tauriel to laugh.

“The singing of birds and the swishing of wind in the woods makes me happy, _gwador_ ”, she replied vaguely because for some reason she didn’t want to say she was meeting Astrid again in Esgaroth. It was a secret between the two of them and she didn’t want to let others in on it.

 

The carriage of the elves moved slowly onward pulled by a single horse. Amras and Saeross had risen from the carriage to stretch their legs and were now jogging on both sides of it.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid was nervous as she walked behing the cart pulled by her father. Her parents had not been happy about last year’s fiasco so this year Erland was supposed to keep an eye on his future wife so that she wouldn’t run away again and mess up the wedding plans. She wasn’t at all sure that she could slip out to see Tauriel like they’d planned a year ago but at least she had to try as soon as the opportunity arose. Astrid was only nervous that if it failed she could get into trouble.

 

When they arrived at Esgaroth Astrid tried to sneak away but Erland was watching her like a hawk. She saw Tauriel waiting for her by the gate but she’d have to elude her guard somehow before meeting her. As the unusually warm weather was making her sweat she came up with an idea.

“Erland, would you like to go swimming?” she asked innocently.

“Now?” he wondered.

“Yes, because it’s so hot in here”, she replied.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Tauriel watched from further off as Astrid led a boy she assumed was Erland she was betrothed to further to the shore of the Lake and wondered what was going on. She sat on the ground to wait as she’d promised to come and meet her hoping that this time nothing had gone wrong. After a while she saw Astrid running to her grinning mischievously. Tauriel waited for her patiently laughing. When she finally reached her she almost jumped to hug her. Tauriel returned the hug happily because this was promising.

 

The girls began walking along the shores of the Long Lake (to the other direction than where Astrid had come from) while Astrid explained how she’d tricked Erland into going swimming alone. She’d suggested she wanted to swim because it was so hot and had guided him to a perfect spot and ordered him to close his eyes so that she dared to take off her clothes. The excited boy had of course done as he’d been asked to so Astrid had slipped quietly away. Tauriel laughed clearly to her explanation as they walked hand in hand.

 

The girls arrived to a spot where Esgaroth filled half of the horizon and decided to sit down for a while. They sat down on the lawn side by side still holding each other’s hands and turned to face the Long Lake. Suddenly Astrid stood and Tauriel faced her puzzled.

“It really is hot in here, so that swimming trip sounds too good an idea to go to waste. Or what do you think?” she suggested. Tauriel agreed on the suggestion gladly because the weather was indeed exceptionally warm for this time of the year. So the girls removed their excess clothes and raced to the Lake. Luckily for them the water wasn’t very deep in that spot so they could swim further from the shore.

 

After they had swum a while the girls grew tired of it so they got up from the water. They lay down on the lawn to dry themselves a little in the sun before it would be time to dress up. Tauriel looked at Astrid who returned her gaze smiling and reached out her hand to take hers.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid squeezed Tauriel’s hand like her life depended on it and Tauriel squeezed back. Then the elf turned to her side and reached out towards Astrid while she did the same. She could taste the coldness of the Lake water and the freshness of the forest on the elf’s lips. Their fingers intertwined as Tauriel let her tongue out to play with Astrid’s. She’d never experienced anything quite like it so she returned the kiss a little more awkwardly than usual but was given confidence from the elf squeezing her hand encouragingly.

 

”Astrid”, Tauriel said after they had separated. Astrid only hummed in response.

“Don’t marry Erland”, the elf continued and Astrid watched her expression turn to suffering. How could she say no to her?

“But I don’t how to not marry him”, she replied in anguish. She didn’t want to marry him but did she have a choice.

“Run away with me. We could go somewhere, where nobody knows us and start all over again”, Tauriel said. Astrid couldn’t not like the plan so she nodded.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Tauriel took Astrid’s hand and lifted it to her lips.

“We will need a plan and a little time, but if you can stop your wedding from happening for another year, I promise, we will get away from here”, she swore and Astrid’s eyes glistened from happiness. She couldn’t even reply verbally so she kissed her and hoped that would convey everything words couldn’t at that moment.

“I love you, Tauriel”, Astrid said with tears in her eyes.

“I love you, too”, Tauriel replied equally teary-eyed. The girls began planning their escape and the hours kept passing by. At last when the sun had vanished they stood up, got dressed and separated for the last time according to plan.


	7. First Separation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations from Sindarin to English: nana = mother, ada = father, yrch = orcs, sell = daughter, ion = son ja gwathel = sister.

## First Separation

TA 2341

 

The following year Tauriel didn’t see Astrid at the market in Esgaroth but she hadn’t expected it. They had both guessed that because she’d disappeared the previous year that Astrid wouldn’t be allowed to come to the market anymore so they had based their plans on that. Now Tauriel was sitting on the carriage waiting for the others to get ready to leave. Gilmith was sitting with her already on the carriage because the men had ordered the women away when they loaded the carriage. Tauriel didn’t understand why _nana_ had decided to tag along this year but she didn’t mind because it was nice for a change to have another female accompany them.

 

When they finally started heading out Tauriel began planning how she could convince the others to do a little side trip. She knew in advance that they’d pass by Astrid’s little village but normally it was a few miles off the road and this time they would have to get closer or she couldn’t escape from her parents. Now she needed a plan that wouldn’t be too suspicious.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid was really nervous. Already after her father, Erland and his parents had left she’d began worrying about the success of her and Tauriel’s plan because this was their only chance of getting away. If it failed that would be it; she’d become Erland’s wife and afterwards she probably couldn’t even go to pick berries on her own. Already now he was reluctant to leave Astrid out of his sight so her mother had agreed on staying as her ‘guard’ as Erland had so nicely put it.

 

She really hoped Tauriel would make it to their little village before Erland and the others or it could be too late. Their wedding day was set on the day the company would return from the market. The elves did have a horse so it was unlikely for the men to get back before them but Astrid was still worried. She didn’t want to get married, especially to Erland. She walked round in circles on the yard until she heard weird sounds close by and to her horror she saw several orcs approaching the village.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Tauriel was about to execute her plan when they heard shrieks of horror ahead of them. Gelmir pulled the carriage to a halt, got off the carriage and took a few steps to watch the horizon.

“ _Ada_ , what is causing that noise?” Edrahil asked and Tauriel heard in his voice that he was worried. She herself was worried, too, because the shrieks came from somewhere near Astrid’s home village.

“ _Yrch_ ”, was the short reply that made Tauriel even more worried.

“ _Ada_ , we have to do something, we have to help them!” Tauriel shouted and ignored the fact that Amras and Saeros were staring at her puzzled.

“ _Sell_ , we cannot do anything until we know fully what is going on”, Gelmir replied.

“ _Ada_ , Tauriel is right, we cannot leave those poor souls alone”, Edrahil agreed.

“I can run to scout ahead”, Saeros offered and jumped down from the carriage before Gelmir said anything. He nodded to the younger elf who took his bow and his newly bought quiver and ran towards the noises. Gelmir got back to the carriage and reined the horse slowly onwards.

 

While they moved on the shrieks of terror and pleas for help grew louder and louder and Tauriel had to cover her ears when she couldn’t take it anymore. Edrahil looked at her sister worried and Amras lifted his hand to her shoulder comfortingly. Soon Saeros ran back looking serious.

“What did you see?” Gelmir asked quickly as he stopped the carriage.

“Dozens of orcs, they found a small village and are now destroying everything in their path; men, women, children, even buildings. They will probably set fire to the village before they leave”, Saeros replied and Tauriel felt her heart speeding up. Where was Astrid and was she even alive any longer? She was turning to her father to beg that they’d do something about it when Edrahil said:

“ _Ada_ , we cannot stand by and let those poor souls suffer!”

“You’re right, _ion_ , we have to help those poor souls”, Gelmir said after a while. Then all six elves gathered their weapons and made their way towards the shrieks.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid was running more and further than she remembered ever running but nothing seemed to be enough. Orcs were everywhere and there seemed to come more and more of them. Four villagers had already been killed and even the rest of them didn’t seem to have a place to escape to. Of the remaining villagers only a few could fight because the male members had left to the market and were expected back only later that day. Astrid had lost her mother somewhere amidst the crowd but because she could still hear her telling her to run she knew her mother was still alive. Suddenly she noticed movement ahead and saw six elves running to aid the villagers. She also noticed a familiar face among them.

“TAURIEL!” Astrid shouted and began running towards her. But she hadn’t taken many steps when something hit her straight between her shoulder blades and she fell flat on the ground. Time seemed to slow its pace from running to crawling. The pain erupted in pulses from the wound and Astrid felt her body going numb. She suddenly noticed she was crying even though she didn’t know why. She felt someone lifting her upper body so she opened her eyes cumbersomely and realized she was looking at Tauriel’s face.

“I knew you’d come”, Astrid said and Tauriel nodded crying. Astrid took a small object from her pocket and handed it to Tauriel asking her to take it. The elf looked at her hand and nodded.

 

~¤~¤~

 

Astrid had handed her a hairclip that was identical to Tauriel’s. At last she understood what had pulled her towards that hairclip in the old woman’s stall; she’d seen Astrid wearing one and had wanted to have its twin.

“I love you”, Astrid said before she closed her eyes for the last time. Tauriel squeezed her torso to her cheast. She didn’t know anything about the battle anymore. Suddenly she heard someone shouting her name and momentarily someone touched her shoulder.

“Tauriel, we have to go, the orcs are too many!” Amras told her and pulled her up. Astrid’s body fell to the ground and Tauriel wanted to pick it up.

“There’s no time, we have to escape!” Amras said again and Tauriel nodded. She let Amras lead her away from the village running and noticed only later that only the two of them were running towards the carriage.

“Edrahil? _Ada_? _Nana_?” she asked not able to form complete sentences.

“Edrahil waits us by the carriage, I don’t know about the others”, Amras replied and begged her to run faster.

 

When they reached the carriage Tauriel noticed that only Edrahil and Saeros were there but not her parents. She looked her brother in his eyes and he shook his head crying. Tauriel screamed in pain and would’ve fallen to her knees had Amras not held her tight.

“ _Gwathel_ , we don’t have time, you and Amras have to take the horse and ride to the king. I and Saeros will lead the orcs away”, Edrahil said but Tauriel shook her head. She refused to leave the last remaining member of her family. Edrahil looked at Amras who nodded, untying the horse from in front of the carriage, lifted Tauriel onto his back and got up behind her. Amras took one final look at the other two before he started riding towards Thranduil’s palace. Edrahil and Saeros in turn turned to run to the opposite direction to lead the remaining orcs towards Esgaroth. They hoped to give their younger sibling enough time to escape before they might lose their own lives but they hadn’t had time to come up with a better plan.


	8. Epilogue

##  _Epilogue_

 

Luckily Tauriel and Amras survived the desperate ride to Thranduil’s palace and they were received well. Thranduil even sent a company of dozens of elves after the orcs to perhaps rescue the remaining companions of the two. That moment Tauriel decided that never again would she stand helpless watching as others died around her. She started learning how to fight and as the years went by she became a valuable part of Thranduil’s guard and eventually its captain. Amras in turn watched her from nearby hoping that she’d notice him staying always in her shadow.

 

Saeros and Edrahil survived miraculously from their raving mad flight but only Saeros made it to Thranduil’s palace as Edrahil was hit by an orc arrow. The wound became enflamed during their trip to the palace and finally fever took Edrahil on the gates.

 

Six hundred years after Astrid’s death the next flash of light in Tauriel’s life came in the form of a young dark-haired dwarf. However, even that didn’t last long as the arched was already promised to someone else so Tauriel had to settle for the second best.


End file.
